Day 23

Winding Stair Gap to Wine Spring Camp 8.2 Miles.  AT mile 117.8

Card of the day – 6 cups

Happy birthday papa bear! (It’s my dad’s birthday)

Today started with breakfast at the Baptist church in town and survival pack containing things like Q tips, a lighter and some nail files.  They have been doing this since 2007 when they had hired an assistant pastor that had thru-hiked.  Breakfast was pancakes and bacon and was delicious.

Later in town we met the legendary trail angel Miss Janet.  We were just on the main square waiting for the bus and she was just walking her dog.  She told me how in 2000 there were a whole load of hikers in kilts at the front of the Trail Days Parade.  Something to look forward to, I’m sure.

What I really liked about her was she only said who she was at the end of our conversation, as she liked to go “incognito.”

The town shuttle back was $5 to trail and off we go!  Back to the day job.

Unfortunately, Underhill lost his ear pod in about the first mile of walking.  He thought he had dropped something, so we had a quick look, but I don’t think either of us were thinking of something so small, so we missed it and carried on.

After lunch, which included beer, Underhill used a cat hole!  I think he is the first of us to actually poop in the woods!  We have a $100 bet that I won’t dig a cat hole between now and Katahdin.

One of the things I’ve noticed is that there are always steps out of road crossings.  These steps are always huge and steep!  They hurt!  Talking of things that still hurt, uphills still hurt.  The good news is that they now only hurt when I’m actually going up hill, which is a winner.

After a hill that seemed to go on for an hour, we made it to a camp at around 6:00!  All in all, it was not a bad day.  I didn’t do laundry in town and now I’m glad as I’ve sweated from every cell of my skin today!

Around the campfire at camp, we number back into Howard, who it transpires is a YouTube vlogger, Awakend Av.  He’s a fairly cool guy and everyone around the fire seemed to think his channel was good.